NFL star's revelations to lover a ‘slap in the face’

by Jaclyn Hendricks

24th Jan 2020 10:04 AM

NEW year, same feud.

NFL star Aaron Rodgers' estranged family is said to be "dismayed" by comments made by the Green Bay Packers quarterback in late December while discussing his Christian background on girlfriend and former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick's podcast, Pretty Intense.

"They were dismayed," a source recently told People. "The family is very dedicated to their Christian faith."

During the exchange with Patrick, Rodgers - who has been feuding with his family for years - spoke about going to church on Sundays as a teenager and being involved in religious organisation Young Life.

"Young Life on Monday welcomed everyone, come as you are," Rodgers explained. "Church on Sunday it was like, more, make sure you dress a certain way, don't bring that person, this person's going to get looked at strangely if they show up.

"Again, it's very black and white, binary."

Additionally, Rodgers also spoke of separation among people. "It's set up binary, it's us and them. It's saved and unsaved, it's heaven and hell," he said as he questioned a higher power.

"I don't know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery hell," he said.

Patrick interviewed her NFL star boyfriend on her podcast.

For Rodgers' family, the remarks were considered "a slap in the face to the fundamentals of who they are".

"It's basically him turning his back on everything they have taught him," the source said.

It has long been tense between Rodgers and his family. The feud was thrust into the spotlight in 2016, when brother Jordan Rodgers appeared on The Bachelorette.

The bad blood boiled over two years later when Jordan called out his older brother in a tweet after the quarterback pledged to donate $1 million toward the recovery efforts from the California wildfires, which affected the family's home state.

Jordan alleged that Aaron had not called his parents, who live in that area, to check on their wellbeing.

Patrick was reportedly trying to help mend fences between both parties last year, though it appears the ice has not yet thawed.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission